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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Lights, Camera, Green Screen, Action!

Green screening is a video technique where you to film in front of a green background and then you are able to replace the green background with another. This is the same technique used in the movies and with weather reporters.

My students have really enjoyed creating green screen movies this year. I have worked with several classes from Preschool through 5th grade to create green screen videos for reader's theaters, songs, poetry, and historical or informational reports. It is so much fun to transport your students to another place or time through the magic of green screening. The students are also highly motivated to complete research and prepare for a video project. Here is an example of a green screen video created by 2nd grade students about thunderstorms.

I recently presented a workshop on green screening to show teachers how easy and inexpensive it is to green screen. This presentation outlines how to create a green screen movie in your classroom. I suggest creating your own green screen studio with inexpensive materials and purchasing older versions of the software to save money. The presentation shows how to use Adobe Premiere Elements but you can also green screen with iMovie, ULead, Pinnacle, or with Windows Movie Maker. There are links at the end of the presentation on creating green screen movies with these other programs. Have fun green screening!